Chad Mendes (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) knows things could have been different, and that’s what bothers him the most when he thinks back to January 14.

Mendes, fighting for the UFC featherweight title in just his third octagon appearance and 12th professional fight, was handling the early storm from champ Jose Aldo, gaining confidence while fighting the Brazilian champ on his native soil.

But with one tick left in the opening round, things went terribly wrong. Now Mendes wants a chance to prove he’s better than he showed at UFC 142.

“For me, it’s about beating Aldo now,” Mendes told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “That’s my first loss, and I want to get in there and prove to the world that I can be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters.”

Mendes has been sidelined since that January bout, waiting somewhat impatiently for a chance to get back in action and start his path back to a championship bout.

“I was ready to get back in there as soon as possible,” Mendes said. “For me, I always do better when I’m competing on a regular basis. I feel like I get better faster. Obviously I’m learning more stuff when I’m in there.”

The phone finally rang just a few weeks ago, and Mendes received his orders. The Team Alpha Male fighter welcomes “The Ultimate Fighter 12″ cast member Cody McKenzie to the featherweight division at July’s UFC 148 event in Las Vegas.

Mendes said while McKenzie’s awkward style will present a unique challenge, there’s another aspect of the bout that also offers him a new lesson in the fight game.

“It’s going to be funny because I’ve trained with Cody,” Mendes said. “He’s come into Sacramento and trained for a couple weeks at a time. This is the first time I’ve ever fought somebody that I’ve kind of known and trained with. I wouldn’t call him a best friend or anything. But like I said, I’ve never trained with any of my opponents before or gone to lunch or hung out with them.

“It’s going to be a different experience, but I’m going to treat it like it’s any other fight. It’s not like I’m fighting one of my teammates like Joseph Benavidez or Urijah Faber or T.J. Dillashaw. We’ll see. I’m going to get in there, and I’m going to train like it’s for the world title and go after it.”

“He’s definitely awkward”

McKenzie drops to 145 pounds after a 2-2 stint in the UFC’s lightweight division. Mendes wrestling game could prove problematic if McKenzie hopes to remain upright, but then again the Alaskan native recently tapped out Marcus LeVesseur, who finished his collegiate wrestling career at an incredible 155-0.

Mendes realizes his opponent’s strengths but feels comfortable he’ll be able to combat those areas with proper planning.

“He’s definitely awkward,” Mendes said. “He’s southpaw. I think he’s 6-foot, so he’s going to be big for the weight. I don’t think his standup is particularly any good. His wrestling is not very good. His ground is decent. He’s got a really good guillotine choke. Obviously, we’re going to base our camp around that and put together a good gameplan like we always do and just get in there and try to execute it as good as possible.”

If victorious, Mendes said he doesn’t want to waste too much time trying to work his way back into contention. After all, in a division where top contenders like Hatsu Hioki have flatly declined a title shot and where fans clamor for competitors like Chan Sun Jung at just 3-2 in his past five fights, be granted a shot at the belt, Mendes believes it won’t take much to make his way back to the top.

“There are people that are turning down the fight with Aldo, people that just don’t think they’re ready for him or guys that have already fought and lost,” Mendes said. “I think that I’m pretty close, still, to the top. I win a couple more fights, and I should be right back in there.”

And if he can accomplish that, Mendes would have a chance to erase the memories that have been haunting him since January. Sure, there were bright moments during fight week, but the what-ifs that came shortly after a pinpoint knee and devastating punches ended his night simply must be addressed.

“Overall, I had a lot of fun in Brazil,” Mendes said. “It was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever gotten to have in my life. I always think back to those open workouts on the beach and just seeing the planes go by with our names behind them. All the fans, it was just awesome.

“Having a wrestler on your back, a lot of times you’re just going to turn and throw a knee. It’s a chance you’re going to take. Either you’re going to miss and nothing is going to happen, or you’re going to catch him and knock him out. Obviously, he caught me that night and knocked me out. It was something that they had probably planned and worked on, and they executed it well. For me, either just keeping the distance closed and keeping hold of him until the time ran out or trying to pull him away from the fence so there were no mishaps like possibly grabbing the fence or anything like that – pulling him back to the center and trying to bring him back down to the mat. It’s something I probably could have done. It’s something I think about a lot, and it’s something I should have done.”

“I’m just going to keep my fingers crossed and keep doing what I do”

Mendes, who said he walks around at just 155 pounds, said dropping to bantamweight is a possibility for the future, but that’s simply not in his plans for now. Instead, he’s now more determined than ever to claim the belt that evaded him in Rio de Janeiro.

“It sucks that I lost the fight,” Mendes said. “It was my first loss, but it’s part of the sport. You’re going to lose. No one stays undefeated forever. But for me, it’s just a learning experience. I got to fight one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and I saw what I did wrong. I learned from it, and hopefully I can win a couple of fights and get back in there and go after it again.

“I could definitely make 135, and I’m sure it will happen in the future, but right now 145 is my home, and I’m going to try and go after that belt as many times as I can until I get it. Ultimately, it’s not up to me. We all know that. I’m just going to keep my fingers crossed and keep doing what I do.”

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